London, UK, April 12th 2012 – In today’s speech in Indonesia, UK Prime Minister David Cameron called on the Muslim world to “embrace democracy” and reject the region’s growing calls for Islamic governance which he labelled “extremism”.
Commenting on his speech, Taji Mustafa, media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Britain said: “While conveniently silent about the UK’s support for authoritarian dictators like those in Saudi Arabia, he painted an incomplete picture of democracy and criticised four types of people who oppose it.”
“When he criticised ’authoritarian leaders’, he did not mention that successive British governments had supported such regimes for their own ends; that he has invited the authoritarian ‘King’ of Bahrain to the UK Queen’s jubilee celebration; that in February 2012 his government visited Uzbekistan’s Islam Karimov, one of the most brutal and murderous tyrants in the world.”
“When he criticised ‘corrupt elites’ recognising the truth that ‘corruption denies the people their economic and political stake’ he did not say that democratic government – from Westminster to Islamabad and Dhaka – inevitably breeds corruption. He seems to have forgotten that last month a senior member of his own party was caught ‘selling’ private dinner invitations with him to Britain’s own corporate elite, where they might influence policy, if they donated to his party.”
“When he criticised ’tribalists’ he did not say that in the UK and Europe there is growing racism and violent intolerance towards minorities – including Muslims and immigrants. Indeed, fewer and fewer people in Britain seem bothered as it increasingly treats its Muslim citizens as second class, locking up several Muslims for years, without charge or trial or even showing them the evidence against them.”
“When he raised the issue of ‘extremism’, he deliberately mixed the small number of cases of those who promote violence, with those who promote Islamic governance as a better and more just system than democracy – some of whom have never believed in a violent method of change, yet he wanted banned!”
“The Islamic system of governance, under the Caliphate, promotes the idea of an elected, accountable leader; where minority religions have protection under the constitution; where the laws are derived from the Shariah, so cannot be influenced by the corporate elite; where the rule of law is paramount and applies to all – including the Khaleefah; where corruption must be rooted out, unlike in his democratic system which encourages it.”
“The reason Britain, the United States, and other capitalist states are so dishonest and hypocritical on issues of Islam, freedom, democracy and dictatorship, is that a real Islamic government would end the West’s colonial hold on Muslim countries; and end their use of international institutions to keep themselves strong at the expense of others.”
“The people of Indonesia, Malaysia and elsewhere are not unaware of the inaccuracies of this speech – which is why increasing numbers across the region support the inevitable re-establishment of the Caliphate.”
[Ends]
